Koishiteru
by QPoppo
Summary: Rantaku College AU
"I wonder what it is." The impressively large 4 by 4 box in front of Kirino made him feel giddy. From the looks of it, Shindou had picked out a very extravagant present for him this year. By this point, Kirino was used to the excited but guilty feelings they always gave him. But Shindou didn't mind. When picking a gift for someone he loved, price wasn't a factor.

It was past midnight. The two had just gotten home from a Christmas party that began to run late. After escaping from their friends, as much as they enjoyed themselves, they found themselves back home, ready to open their last presents to each other. The room was colored with warm orange light from the abundance of decorations.

It had been three years since they met each other in that café on campus after accidentally getting their coffee cups swapped. White Chocolate with Hazelnut tasted different from simple Vanilla. For some reason, instead of moving on past their little mistake, they kept talking as if they've been friends since childhood. It's not every day you find someone you just click with.

However, Shindou had been waiting for that moment for a while now. Finally, a chance to speak with the beautiful boy who caught his attention the instant he wandered into one of his classes. Just by walking in Shindou felt he made the room a brighter, more delightful place. He couldn't take his mind off of him ever since, even if he refused to admit it.

He always took his work very seriously, it's how he got to be a professor at eighteen years old. So he was mostly known as a stoic, deadpan type of teacher. And also that prodigy the female students could not stop talking about. He was aiming for the top, no, even higher than that. He couldn't let anything distract him. And yet, Shindou always found himself staring into the pair of blue eyes in the back of the room, silently hoping that, even just once, the owner would call out his name.

It could have been the pink-haired boy's seemingly effortless grace and beauty that Shindou was attracted to. Kirino was in the middle of explaining why his coffee didn't taste like, how he described it, "coffee" coffee. His silly words accompanied by his refined appearance made him chuckle. And he did everything he could to make Kirino laugh too.

As for the other, maybe it was because Kirino liked seeing that icy persona melt away to reveal a shy and sweet one. He of course had noticed Shindou before, but he never spoke to him. It wasn't because of his stern demeanor, Kirino could easily see beyond that. He thought he was cute, but he didn't think of it as anything more than that. Of course that wasn't completely true as he did jump at the chance to have an actual conversation with him in that café. Responsibilities forgotten, the two boys talked about whatever came to mind, learning whatever they could about each other as if trying to make up for lost time.

Even though they were the same age and shared similar interests, their lives were very different. By the time Kirino had finished high school, Shindou had graduated from college, most likely silently reveling in his own success next to other, much older students. Of course, Kirino was impressed, not only by the other's accomplishments, but also by how literal his name was, realizing he was sitting next to some sort of prodigy. He also thought of how unusual it would have been for some students, to be taught by someone the same age or even younger than them. Shindou enjoyed watching Kirino's eyes light up when he humbly spoke of his achievements, not with envy or disbelief, but with true admiration and wonder.

Shindou watched as Kirino began tearing the decorative paper off. His present from Kirino was sitting in his lap right now. It was a small white kitten that Kirino had hidden in a misleadingly large box. He was trying to decide between the names Claves and Falsetto. However, he couldn't hold back a giggle when Kirino finally finished opening his gift only to reveal another beautifully wrapped box. His reaction was simply "…"

Kirino could remember when their first _official_ date was, but they had been on many other dates before that, both of them were just too shy to actually refer to them as such. They laughed when they looked back on this behavior. Their real first date might have been that time they spent a beautiful day alone together eating crepes near the pier. Kirino was so immersed in his snack he didn't notice there was whipped cream on his face until Shindou tenderly wiped it off with a convenient handkerchief.

Another one of those "not dates" had ended with an unexpected moment. It was really out of nowhere since neither of them had even mentioned their feelings for the other at all. Yet there they were, leaning against a lamp post in the middle of the night, sharing a long quiet kiss. At this point it seemed obvious to Kirino that at that point they were officially dating, because why would you kiss someone you didn't like, he thought. So he would wonder why Shindou would get so flustered when he referred to him as his boyfriend to other people.

Shindou lit up like a Christmas tree.

"I mean I knew we were kinda dating but I didn't know we were actually, you know, _date_ dating."

"Of course we are. We've been date dating for three months now."

"We have?"

"I thought the, you know… _dates_ we went on and hours we spent making out spoke volumes."

Once that was officially cleared up Shindou had little trouble adjusting. He would pull Kirino into gentle but firm hugs from behind, nuzzling his pink hair. And Kirino would gasp, like he did whenever they touched, and his face would light up. When Shindou noticed his red cheeks, he smiled.

"You shouldn't have," he rested his chin on the other's tense shoulders before slipping a single stick of pocky from the other's hand.

"Shindou," Kirino lowered his head in a futile attempt to hide his face, something Shindou thought made him even more adorable. "The entire student body doesn't need to know we're together," he moaned. He wore a pout. It wasn't like anyone was staring, but Kirino felt like they were. He could just imagine the looks on the girls' faces, some looking disappointed and others looking suspiciously excited. However, even then, he usually didn't even get so flustered. In reality, he just wasn't used to his boyfriend being so forward.

As for Shindou, there was just something about the way he blushed that he found… fascinating.

Kirino opened the fifth box inside the other boxes just to reveal another smaller box inside. "Are you for real right now?" he said laughing. It was the type of thing that always sounded fun in theory but was absolutely ridiculous in execution. Every time he opened a new box to reveal another he laughed and Shindou smiled with him. "It's like the matryoshka of Christmas presents," he muttered to himself. Shindou made himself comfortable with his new kitten, knowing that Kirino had many more boxes to get through.

A little after that, Shindou invited Kirino to, what the latter describes as his "unreasonably large apartment". It was just to spend time with each other, but the added promise of food made him arrive an hour early. After letting him in, he enjoyed watching him stare at everything in awe.

"How the hell can you afford this apartment?" he looked on in wonder. "Well, I mean, not that it's any of my business—" he waved his hands.

Shindou just gave him one of those calm smiles. "I didn't know it was anything special," he commented. He wasn't just being modest but he really thought his extravagant apartment was the norm. He had never been to Kirino's home, but he assumed it was quite the same.

Apparently, that initial invitation was all Kirino needed as permission to visit almost every single day. Shindou remembers the other asking to walk home with him in the shy but upbeat way he always was. And Shindou would say yes, there was no reason for him not to.

Eventually, he began to receive "I'm outside" texts, which made his heart jump just like any other text from him. These texts could arrive at any time, from 3am to 11pm. Shindou never found these necessary. He just somehow knew when Kirino was on his way. And he was happy about that, he was lovely to have around.

When he opened the door Kirino walked in and settled himself onto the couch in his usual position: laying back with his knees at his chest.

"Look, I really don't think it matters in the grand scheme of things," Kirino continued the same conversation they were just having over text in person.

"No, you've got it backwards; the grand scheme of things is where it matters most. Move over," Shindou gently moved Kirino's knees to the side to make room for himself. He settled down next to him, their shoulders touching. "It's hard for me to be fully interested in a story if there's such glaring inconsistencies."

"But that's not what the movie is for. It's not about a complex, deep story, it's an action movie. Something you just turn your brain off and enjoy." He finished unwrapping a chocolate bar and held it in his mouth. "It's because you're such a nerd," his words were muffled. "Only a nerd like you would notice things like that."

Kirino was on the 12th box of his present. He had settled himself on the floor lazily opening it, only expecting another box. It was like an overly long joke. And like with every overly long joke, it went through a dull period. His expression wasn't grumpy or bored, just calm. It was also pretty late at night, and the warm glow of the Christmas lights just made him sleepy. Shindou seemed content, but there was no way he couldn't be with a cat on his lap.

"What about Jazz?" he mused, turning the kitten around so he could see its face. It was directed more towards it rather than his partner. Regardless, Kirino answered. "You don't name a cat Jazz."

Shindou almost didn't recognize Kirino when he wasn't on his couch. Or in his kitchen. Or in his bed. He figured that's how it worked, when you have a boyfriend, someone who really needed and wanted you, you want to be with him. And that's why, as if they hadn't spent enough time together with it already being eleven at night, he would offer him the chance to stay. And Kirino would always accept, while falling asleep on his shoulder. A bag of snacks slowly slipped out of his hand.

Just a couple of hours later, Kirino awoke in a very large bed that was not his own. He felt like he'd been sleeping for an entire night, but the digital clock next to him said it was only around one in the morning. And yet he didn't see Shindou anywhere. What he did see, however, was a faint white light coming from down the hall. Getting up slowly from the comfy bed, he headed towards it.

What he found was his boyfriend, still up even after their long day, sitting at a desk with papers and books around him. He calmly copied words from one paper to another before setting his pen down on the desk and sitting back in his chair. His hand was resting on his chin in serious thought. It was a tranquil scene.

Kirino slowly walked up behind him, still a little drowsy, and covered Shindou's eyes with his hands. Though he was surprised to find frames blocking his hands. Regardless, he continued with his original plan.

"Guess who~" his voice was so soft it didn't startle Shindou one bit.

"Ah…?" He was more confused by how Kirino could ask such a thing. "Is it Ranmaru?" he went along with it.

Kirino smiled. "How did you know?"

"Well, you're the only one here," he reached up to take off his reading glasses but Kirino stopped him. He wanted to enjoy Shindou's adorable new look for a little while longer.

"You should have told me you had so much work to do. I would have left you alone, and you wouldn't be up in the middle of the night trying to finish everything." He had his arms around Shindou's shoulders, nuzzling his curly brown hair.

"No, this isn't because of you," he whispered. "I always do this." At some point, Shindou had formed a habit of staying up past midnight just for work. By now, he had gotten used to it. To Kirino, he didn't look tired at all.

"If you say so," Kirino decided to leave him to his work and made his way to the kitchen, while Shindou propped open yet another large book.

It only took him a minute to get a midnight snack, but when Kirino walked past Shindou again, the other had just drifted off to sleep, his face planted in his book.

"Alright, that's it," Kirino muttered to himself. He set his cream puff on the desk before beginning to carry Shindou to his own bed. He made sure to place his glasses on the nightstand before curling up next to him and drifting off to sleep.

Right when one entered a deep sleep, the other awoke. Shindou opened his brown eyes and mostly saw darkness. However, he did feel Kirino behind him, his face buried into his back. Their hands were loosely intertwined, just enough to feel that comforting warmth. He turned over slowly to get a better look, as much as he could with only that faint moonlight.

It wasn't the first time Kirino spent the night, but it was the first time they slept next to each other. Shindou didn't think he could ever fall in love with the way someone breathed, or how safe he felt gently wrapped in the other's arms, but that's exactly what happened. "…"

"What is it, Takuto?" Kirino asked, smiling. "What kind of present is so special that it warrants all _this_?" he threw up all of the excess wrapping paper around him to emphasize his point. Ribbons and paper fluttered around them both. Shindou simply smiled without responding, as usual. Kirino opened the next box inside of the other, only to reveal another beautifully wrapped box. "You've got to be fucking kidding," he didn't know what else he expected. This was probably why Shindou requested they opened their gifts to each other in private, back at their home instead of in front of their friends. Something like this was only entertaining to watch for a little while.

"I promise you'll love it," Shindou's voice was barely audible, but Kirino heard it anyway.

"Was it something on the list?" after finishing unwrapping the box, he flipped it over to let the other one slide out.

"No," the brunette gently scratched the kitten's chin. "But it's something you've wanted for a long time."

"This is so boring, all they've been doing is talking."

"That's because you're not paying attention."

It was the same conversation, just a different day and a different atmosphere. They sat together in the same spot; Shindou rested his head on Kirino's shoulder, eyes closed, while the other stared at the TV, clearly uninterested. It was still early in the morning so neither of them had gotten dressed yet. Kirino was only wearing the same dress shirt he fell asleep in, so Shindou spent his time idly caressing every inch of skin left exposed.

"I wanna see someone or something go nuts," he complained. "That's the only reason I wanted to watch this anyway."

"Just have patience," Shindou's voice was raspy, he was still half asleep. "If you have to wait for it, then it's that much better when it really happens." Lazily, he started leaving kisses wherever he could. Kirino couldn't help but giggle when his lips brushed against his neck. Whenever he would move away, Shindou would pull him closer and closer, until they would fall over.

And when Kirino lifted his head, shaking his fringe out his eyes, he only saw Shindou under him, smiling warmly. It was the same smile that attracted him in the first place, though this time he also looked a bit sleepy. He softly pressed their foreheads together, brushing their noses, brown hair mingling with pink.

"You know all about that, don't you?" Shindou's voice was a low whisper as if there were others around who would hear them. His arms wrapped around Kirino's waist. They were comfortable.

Kirino let out a breathy laugh before looking away. "You're doing it again." he was positively glowing, just like Shindou wanted. However, "Doing what?" was his only response. Their legs slowly tangled together, and skin brushed against skin.

It felt nice.

"Will we be ok?" After a few minutes passed, this question slipped out. Their eyes were closed, enjoying the peaceful moment. One's head rested in the other's neck.

Shindou began running his fingers through strawberry-scented hair. He was near falling asleep again, but he could still hear how vulnerable Kirino sounded when he said those words. He wasn't very good at hiding his feelings.

Although, he understood where he was coming from. It has almost been two years since they met and they've grown attached to so many things. Like the sound of his laugh, the unique way he said his name, or his slow breathing when he slept.

The warm smiles that made him feel safe, or how red his face was when he teased him. How their differently shaped hands still managed to fit together, and their minds the same way. Actually having someone they could tell anything too, hopes, fears and secrets and have them treasured. Or just having someone around who could make them feel a little less lonely, even if they never said a word.

And that was only scratching the surface of possibilities for their relationship. There was still so much amazement and beauty they wanted to show each other, experiences they wanted to share. No one would want to give up their new home after they just found it.

For a while, Kirino's question was left unanswered, as Shindou was lost in thought. An idea popped into his head that he began to contemplate. Absently, he continued stroking his boyfriend's hair. "Yeah," he muttered. "We will be…I promise."

By that time Kirino had fallen back to sleep on top of him.

"I like Aria…" Shindou's voice sounded of satisfaction, he finally seemed content with the name.

Kirino had gotten down to the final few boxes and at this point he was completely attentive, eager to finally know what his gift was. "What's that mean?" he asked as he hastily unwrapped the next box.

"It's like a solo…the kind you'd hear in an opera…" he looked up slowly to see Kirino staring down into the box on his lap, lips parted in disbelief.

What he saw was yet another box; a small, black velvet box.

"Don't worry," Shindou chuckled. "That's the last one."


End file.
